Pregnancy – Week by Week
Here is what’s happening in your pregnancy.
Pregnancy – Week by Week
Here is what’s happening in your pregnancy.
Weeks 1 to 4 – Poppy Seed
A pregnancy test taken at this point can measure hCG, the pregnancy hormone in the mother’s urine, and tell her if she is pregnant. By now, the embryo is completely attached to the lining of the uterus and draws nourishment from its...
Week 5 – Apple Seed
The heart begins to beat just 21 days after fertilization or 5 weeks after the mother’s last menstrual period began. The heart, the size of a poppy seed, is the first organ to function. The first signs of brain development are evident, and the...
Week 6 – Sweet Pea
Just 4 weeks after fertilization, the baby is growing rapidly and measures 1/8 of an inch long. The basic structure of the entire central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) has been formed. The eyes are developing, and the arm and leg buds are...
Week 7 – Blueberry
The baby is now 1/3 of an inch long, and his or her beating heart can be seen on a Doppler ultrasound. The embryo makes its own blood. Depending on the baby’s gender, the testicles or ovaries are beginning to form.
Week 8 – Raspberry
At 8 weeks, the embryo can respond to touch by reflex. The baby is now about ½ of an inch long. The elbows and fingers can be seen. Some reports show that the embryo can move its trunk and limbs. Lungs begin to develop, taste buds form on the...
Week 9 – Green Olive
The baby measures ¾ of an inch long and weighs almost 1/8 of an ounce. The developing ears and nose are visible, and there is pigment in the retina. Nipples can now be seen on the chest. The limbs and fingers are growing rapidly, and the bones in...
Week 10 – Kumquat
The baby’s brain is growing rapidly. Each minute, it produces almost 250,000 new neurons! The upper and lower portions of the arms and legs and fingers and toes are seen. By now, the external ear is fully developed. A baby boy begins to produce the...
Week 11 – Lime
Because the baby has all of the major organ systems and is a distinctly recognizable human being, he or she is no longer called an embryo but is now known as a fetus, a Latin word for “young one.” The baby is about 2 inches long and can yawn and...
Week 14 – Nectarine
Now 3½ inches long, the “young one” is coordinated enough to find his or her thumb and suck it. Fingernails and toenails are beginning to grow. The baby is also able to swallow and urinate. Although they have been kicking for about a month, mom...
Week 16 – Avocado
The heart beats between 110 and 180 times per minute and pumps about 26 gallons of blood daily. The gender of the baby might be seen on ultrasound. If she is a girl, millions of eggs are now forming in her ovaries. At almost 5 inches in length and...
Week 18 – Bell Pepper
In just 2 weeks, the fetus has almost doubled its weight to 7 ounces. The skeleton is hardening and calcifying and is visible on ultrasound. Reflexes such as blinking and frowning are now developed. The baby has its own unique fingerprints and...
Week 20 – Artichoke
The fetus is now about 10 inches long from head to heel and weighs 11 ounces. The baby has unique waking and sleeping patterns and even has a favorite sleeping position. The pregnancy is about half over, and the mother is beginning to “show.”...
Week 22 – Papaya
The baby is about 11 inches long and weighs about 1 pound. If the baby is male, his testicles begin to descend from the abdomen to the scrotum. Hair is visible on his or her head and body. From now until about 32 weeks, the baby feels pain more...
Week 24 – Ear of Corn
The baby now weighs approximately 1½ pounds and inhales amniotic fluid in preparation for breathing. The ear has developed to the point where the baby recognizes his or her mother’s voice, breathing and heartbeat. About a week ago, rapid eye...
Week 26 – Head of Lettuce
Now, the baby weighs almost 2 pounds, and he or she can react to sounds outside the mother’s body. Eyes can now respond to light, and the permanent teeth buds are apparent in the gums. Eyelashes and eyebrows are well-formed, and the hair on the...
Week 28 – Eggplant
The baby is now approximately 15 inches long and weighs about 2½ pounds. With the support of intensive care, a baby born at this stage can breathe air. The brain is developed enough to coordinate rhythmic breathing and regulate body temperature. As...
Week 34 – Butternut Squash
The baby is now about 17 inches long, weighs 4½ pounds and continues to grow and mature. By this stage of development, the eyes are wide open, and if a light were shone into them, the pupils would constrict. The head is covered in hair, the...
Week 40 – Watermelon
The baby is now around 20 inches long and may weigh 7 to 8 pounds. He or she has a plump body and a firm grasp. Typically, the baby is head-down in the mother’s pelvis and awaiting birth. Be patient— only 4% of babies are born on their due date!